Spend Matters Afternoon Coffee

We posted awhile back about the possible merger, but now it seems that the merger is no more, according to the WSJ: A.T. Kearney, Booz Call Off Merger Talks. "Booz & Co. and A.T. Kearney confirm that they have ended discussions about a possible merger of their two partnerships," the companies said in statements. "While the two firms greatly respect each other's legacy and capabilities, they have determined that their future aspirations will be best realized as separate partnerships."

Looks like competition, rather than cooperation, is the name of the game from now on.

There are bugs in the supply chain. Literally.

You may have heard that a Hollister & Co. store in New York was recently shut down because of bedbugs. But Are There Bed Bugs In The New York Retail Supply Chain? Apparently another store has seen an infestation...is this more than just a fluke event? I see a supply chain that needs to be thoroughly fumigated.

Keeping tabs on oil spill damage expenses.

Agencies urged to document oil spill costs -- The White House is directing federal agencies to document all costs and spending related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, according to a July 1 governmentwide memo from Office of Management and Budget Director Peter R. Orszag. The 11-page directive, which applies to past and future costs, urges agencies to categorize all spending that can be attributed to the spill to "preserve options for cost recovery and reimbursement." Agencies also are encouraged to work with affected states to track their costs, including benefit payments, unemployment compensation and food assistance.

Funny how the government is paranoid about getting compensation for damages, while citizens of New Orleans are still waiting for Katrina insurance money, five years later...

Capitalism in North Korea?????

A Capitalist Enclave in North Korea Survives -- At a time when the Koreas have traded threats of military confrontation and cut most economic and diplomatic ties, the Kaesong complex has remained a conspicuous exception. The complex, the largest economic link created during a relaxation of inter-Korean tensions almost a decade ago, has continued to operate even after the sinking in March of the warship, the Cheonan, and the recent closing of other joint projects.